Lowenthal addresses public education cuts at CSULB town hall meeting

LONG BEACH - The future of affordable and accessible public education depends on the passing of the governor's tax initiative in November.

That was one of the messages state Sen. Alan Lowenthal had for students at Cal State Long Beach on Thursday in a town hall meeting at the Nugget Grill & Pub on campus.

Lowenthal, chair of the Senate Education Committee, organized the event, called "Policy on Tap," as a way to talk to students about important legislation affecting education.

Speaking before a crowd of a few dozen students and faculty, Lowenthal noted the deep funding cuts to education, including an overall 26 percent cut in funding to the Cal State University System.

The senator said public education will see an additional $5 billion loss if the November tax initiative fails to pass.

"We can't continue to balance our budget every year by cutting," Lowenthal said. "We need to make sure we pass this tax initiative in November to keep education affordable and accessible. Voting in November is the single most important thing you can do for education."

In a question-and-answer session, students shared concerns, such as the cost of classes and inability to find jobs.

"What do you think of (CSU) Chancellor Charles Reed and the job that he's doing?" asked Cal State Long Beach Native American studies professor Sam Coleman.

In response, Lowenthal said CSU administrators have long been "tone deaf" when it comes to the plight of students and faculty. He noted the CSU Trustees' decision to approve a hefty pay raise for the San Diego State president last year, while in the same meeting they also voted to raise student tuition.

Lowenthal said state legislators are now circulating a bill, SB 952, which he said would put a $245,000 cap on all CSU administrator salaries.

On the issue of jobs, one student noted that she has two degrees but still can't find a job.

"What are you doing to help job creation?" she asked.

Lowenthal said the state can work to create more jobs by providing more incentives for businesses, including stimulus packages and small business loans.

"We need to be able to provide more low-interest loans for small businesses, because that's really what drives the California economy - the initiation of small businesses," he said.

Lowenthal, a Long Beach resident, served on the Long Beach City Council from 1992 to 1998 and is a former Cal State Long Beach psychology professor. He is running for Congress in November.